Improved lock for mail-bags and carpet-sacks



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN B. LOGAN, 0E TEoENrowN, INDIANA.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,069, dated July 3, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. LOGAN, of Thorntown, in the county of Boone and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Lock for Mail-Bags, Carpet-Sacks, 8vo.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a top view of a mail-bag with the two halves of the frame or jaws thrown open to show the application of my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same with the jaws closed. Fig. 3 is a view in detail of one of the catch-bolts.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts. i

My invention consists in the peculiar arrangement of bolts and catches, whereby a rapid opening and closing of the bag or sack is insured, which, when locked, will be secure and reliable.

To enable others to understand my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A A represent the frame of the sack or the y two jaws thereof. This frameA may be made of any suitable material-#wood or metal.

B C D are three slide-bolts connected to a sliding bar, E. The slide-bolts B C D are placed nearest the top of the frame, and are held up against the top of the frame by the sliding bar E, and down in place by rods a, having one end secured in the jaw A and the other in a strip, b, which is secured to a part, a, of the wood-work, as shown clearly in Fig. l; or a thin plate of metal may be employed for the same purpose.

The sliding bar E has slots d (l d cut in its face, into which stops e e e, secured to the sliding bolts B (l D,extend. This arrangement enables all three bolts, B G D, to move independently of each other and independently of the bar E, but vso that the whole of them must be carried forward when the bar E is moved in a forward direction, as can be readily understood by referring to Fig. l. By these means the two jaws may be closed, the catches f g h striking the bolts B C D, respectively,

and moving them sufficiently to allow them toy again ily back by reason of suitable springs employed for the purpose, and catch over the hooks on the ends of the catches for fastening the bag; but when the bag is to be unlocked a key must be inserted in a key-hole provided in the side of .the frame, and this key operates upon the bar E, and this bar E, on moving forward, causes all of the bolts B (l D to move forward also by reason of the pieces e e c resting against the rear side of the notches d d d in the said bar. This explains the operation ofthe lock.

Upon the top of the frame I secure two up right plates, F F', and to the bar E, I secure a plate, Gr, which protrudes through a slot in the top of the frame, the said slot being long enough to allow the said plate to Inove back and forth with the bar E. Through these three plates I make a hole, t', capable of receiving the shackle of` a padlock. Hence it will be seen that when the padlock is affixed and locked through these plates the bag cannot be opened by the key which operates the bar E, and thus the bag is made very secure.

A clasp or frame with this arrangement of bolts and locking Vdevice may be attached to any kind of bag now used for conveying the mails or any kind of bags used for traveling.

The bolting and locking device may be applied with but. little cost, and no great weight will be added to the bags. If used in mailbags they will be as secure as those now in use, and great facility will be afforded for opening and closing the bag to one having the keys.

The bag can be opened as expeditiously as those now in use, and it can be closed far more quickly, as can be readily understood.

The padlock having been once taken off to open the bag, it can be put on again and locked, and so soon as the bag is ready to be closed it is only necessary to bring the njaws of the frame together, when the bag will be securely locked; and a great advantage this lock possesses is that the bag will be locked not only in the middle, but at both ends of the clasps, which will eifectually prevent the forcing of the ends apart to abstract any of the contents of the bags.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the slide-bolts B C D and stops e e', slotted sliding bar E of the jaw A, operating with the catchesfg 7L of thejaw A', constructed and arranged in the manner and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The combination of the plate G and sliding bar E, plates F F', and jaws A A', the plates having suitable holes z' to receive the shackle of a padlock, and preventing the Withdrawal of the bolts unless the padlock is removed, arranged in the manner herein represented and described.

. JOHN B. LOGAN. Witnesses:

A. E. GORDON, J. F. WHITE. 

